Had a tough day trying to organize my fundraising plan for the upcoming ministry year and was falling behind on some meetings. I prepared my talk to students attending Youth With A Mission’s (YWAM) Discipleship Training School. I rushed out of work and was blasted with cold and remembered how my good friend Amy was blessed to do missions in Hawaii and it was my way of dedicating this time to an organization that blessed her. I was invited by Tom and Valerie, staff workers with YWAM New York, to offer some time to share my testimony with this group of students. I confess I was distracted and in some ways wanted to work on some prepping for the rest of the week. As the students started walking in, with their knit caps, scarves, gloves and their “Christmas” mugs, I saw their heart to give 6 months of their young lives to minster to this city in which I love. As I introduced myself, I found out there was a girl from Swizerland, some folks from the west coast, a girl from England, a Canadian (I know, God even loves Canadians…calm down, it is just a joke), a girl from Hawaii’s Big Island and this one girl who was from a tiny obscure town in Texas. As I shared about my calling and how horrific it was to be called to serve God, I wanted them to know that in the surrender there is a profound understanding of the God of scripture that provides (Jehovah Jireh…or the Hebrew translates as God Sees). They heard me out and some eyes were glued while others looked like what I heard my friend quoted, “they worship like they are reading traffic signs.” But when I asked them what they were called to do, they responded with simple but sincere desire to do what God called them to. But one girl inspired me when she shared she wanted to be a hairdresser because in that profession people come to you with a need. You get a lot of opportunities to talk because a lot of them are repeat customers. I thought to myself…What if? What if all the Christian hairdresser developed a relationship with their clients to share the hope they have. In her little answer, it showed me what the gospel can be.

The most touching moment was when the session was over, Valerie facilitated a prayer around me and I had a huddle of 15 people praying with some of them with their hands on me. Before we started, we all heard a tummy grumbling and we laughed. I said, “Jesus, we are hungry” and I meant it in more ways than one. As they prayed for my marriage, for the Asian American community, for the Asian American youth, I was holding back tears because here is a picture of the community of God. Pilgrims praying for the Asian community. We were from a lot of different places but we gathered together on sacred ground on 148th street.As we departed, people came up and shared their burdens for missions, for using dance as a form of ministry, another shared that they were going to sing karaoke with some displaced women, and another was sweeping the floor of the chapel. I was moved that these young people who we often don’t give any credit or don’t have any credentials outside of their heart to seek God in the city are surrendering half of year of their youth to learn, serve and wrestle through this call. And as I left, I realized that although I came to serve, because of these young followers of Christ, I stumbled into a ministry to me. It was them who God used to restored me. Who strengthened me. Who made me love so deeply the people of God. I invited them to pray with me for Chinatown and they were excited and today was a good day. It was a day of ministry. A ministry of reversal. I was blessed so much more…thank you YWAM, you really blessed me.